Air
by gypsywriter135
Summary: He always knew that he would be the last to die… but he never imagined that it would end this way.


I...

have no idea where this came from...

But I like it...

And what's this?! No angst? No hurt/comfort? No male crying? No crying, period? NO FOCUS ON LEO?!

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?!

Ahem...

Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep admitting that they don't belong to me? Oh, and "The Notebook" isn't mine either...

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

He was having trouble breathing.

He didn't know what to do. He was all alone and there was no one that could help him. They had all gone before him, years ago. He was on his own, and he was having trouble getting that damn air into his lungs.

Mikey always knew that he would be the last to die… but he never imagined that it would end this way.

He always thought that when he went, he would go down fighting. He would fall under the weapon of one of his enemies, and it would be quick and painless. He would know nothing after a quick bought of darkness, and then he would suddenly just be… somewhere else….

He never imagined that instead, he would be lying on his bed in his home, struggling to draw in much needed oxygen to his sick and dying lungs…

Mikey coughed again, causing his poor throat to cry out in pain by making itself scratchy. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. He thought back to what Don would say of he were there.

"_Just try and get some rest. You'll get better if your body has the time to fight off this virus."_

He could almost hear his brother, and he smiled slightly.

Don had passed a few years ago; exhaustion had claimed him. Well, not exhaustion itself, but the consequences of it. His immune system had deteriorated, and when a mild cold had crept its way into his body, he had nothing to battle it off, as his immune system was shot.

He had worked himself to death. Literally.

Another coughing fit overcame him, and when it settled, and he was able to lie on his side comfortably for a few minutes, he imagined what April and Casey would say.

"_Take some cough medicine and a long nap. I'm sure you'll be better afterwards."_

His two friends had died a few years before Don. Old aged had gotten the better of them.

Mikey guessed that people could die from a broken heart; Casey had died in his sleep a few days after cancer took April's life in the hospital.

But not before they had given birth to four, very successful, very beautiful and caring children. The old turtle smiled as he thought about the future, and the face of Cody appeared on the inside of his closed eye lids.

"_Take some pills and get over it. Sheesh, it's just a silly flu. Stop being a baby."_

Mikey laughed out loud at that one causing another coughing fit and the struggle for yet another breath. Good Ole' Raph.

He had died the exact way that everyone who knew him would; made a silly mistake in battle and it had cost him his life, and at the tender young age of fifty-six.

Mikey snorted; well, young for turtles, anyways.

Of course, sometimes Mikey thought about whether Raph's mistake had really been a fluke, or whether his brother had flown into it intentionally. He had never really been the same after Master Splinter had died.

Of course, none of them had been, but it had been the last thing to make Raph snap. Mikey knew that Raph had hung on for as long as he could, but he had never been the most stable turtle to begin with. After losing his father, he had become completely ungrounded.

"_Everything will be fine, my son. Simply sleep and allow yourself to heal."_

Master Splinter had passed in his sleep when they were only twenty-three. Old age had gotten the better of him towards the end. A few years before, his back had given out completely, and Don had been forced to develop a special wheelchair for him, just so he could travel from his room to the kitchen without assistance.

The old turtle sniffed. He missed his father. It had been almost a century since he had seen his father. Oh, how he missed him… Mikey coughed again.

"_Relax, little brother. Take in small, steady, breathes. Do it with me now… that's it. Now close your eyes and rest…"_

That voice… Mikey knew that voice… but he couldn't place it. Couldn't put a face to the sound… It was strange, but it was comforting…

He hadn't heard that voice in so long… Ages ago…

A voice that was silenced before it was heard…

Mikey had always known he would be the last to die.

It was just the way he saw everything. He had even predicted the way his father, brothers, and friends would go.

He had know that Leo would take a hit meant for someone else. It was just the way his older brother was. It was how soon it happened that had caught Mikey off guard. And he knew that Splinter would go next; even in their early teens, age had not been kind to him. After the death of his child, everything went downhill. And when Raph lost the two people that he looked up to the most, he crumbled. April and Casey had been loyal friends to the end, and Mikey had known that the two of them loved each other more then anyone else he knew. It was just like that movie…

"_The Notebook"_ he thought, closing his eyes.

Don had buried himself in his work after that. It was just the two of them…

And now Mikey was alone…

"_Stop feelin' sorry for yourself, already. Get over it and get to sleep, shell-fer-brains."_

"_Don't say that, Raph. You know he can only go when he's ready."_

"_Donatello is right, my son. Only _you_ can decide when you are ready."_

"_He's ready. I think I know my own brother."_

"_Ignore Raph, Mikey. Take your time."_

Mikey smiled. He could just hear his family's arguing. He coughed again.

"_See what you do?! Mikey, don't listen to them. Fight through this. We know you can."_

Sweet, sweet April.

"_Hun, he's ready. Can't you see that?!"_

"_Thank you, Casey!"_

"_Raph!"_

"_Casey Jones!"_

In fact, Mikey could almost feel their presence. It was as if they were in the room with him…

"_We're right here, Michelangelo. If you need us. We won't leave."_

Mikey opened his eyes. He could feel them… all of them… but there was one presence he couldn't place… it was familiar… comforting…

"_Would you hurry it up already?!"_

"_Raph!"_

Mikey smiled, closing his eyes…

There was silence for a moment. He became frightened, and quickly opened his eyes, searching for the presences that had, just moments ago, surrounded him…

"How do you feel?"

He spun around…

And came face to face with…

"Donny?"

Before, looking just like he had when they were seventeen, was his immediate older brother, looking at him with slight concern, but happy all the same.

"It's a little weird at first, but after a while, you get used to it," Don told him.

Mikey blinked.

Don smiled and held open his arms. "Where's my hug, little brother?"

Mikey smiled as well, and ran into his brother's arms, noticing as he did so that he felt as he were seventeen again too.

When the two broke away, Don put his arm around his shoulders and began to lead him forward, towards a bright, yellow, warm light that made the darkness around them seem less menacing.

As they came closer, Mikey saw two figures in the distance, seeming to come towards them.

"April! Casey!"

The young turtle hugged his friends tightly. The red-head laughed. Both looked the same as the day they had met.

"It's good to see you, Mike," April said, falling behind him and Don as the four of them continued forward.

"Yeah. It's been boring here without you," Casey agreed.

April smacked him upside the head.

"What? It's true…"

Mikey laughed.

"Took ya' long enough."

The orange-banded turtle stopped. There, before him, was-

"Raph!"

But Mike didn't care about how annoyed Don was. He ran to his brother and jumped on him. Raph caught him and held him tight, just like he had when he was seventeen too.

"I love you," Mikey mumbled into his brother's plastron.

Raph's chuckle vibrated through Mikey's head. "Whatever, brainless."

But his embrace tightened ever so slightly.

Mikey was reluctant to let go, but he did all the same. He walked in between his brothers towards the light.

"My son…"

Mikey stepped forward and bowed before his father respectfully.

When he glanced up, the rat was grinning.

"I have missed you."

Mikey hugged his father, just as he remembered him before he needed a cane to walk around.

"And I, you, sensei."

They broke away.

The light was getting bigger… brighter…

A shadow was getting closer…

He suddenly broke into a run, leaving everyone behind. He knew that shadow… that walk, that presence…

He hadn't seen or heard him in so long, but he knew…

He flew into his brother's arms, nearly knocking him over with the force of it. Powerful arms caught him. He squeezed, remembering how protected he felt with those arms around him.

"It's good to see you, little brother. It's been so long."

"Never leave me again," Mikey whispered.

He chuckled. "Never did. Never will."

Mikey smiled and looked up into those golden orbs… took in his youthful face, relaxed behind the blue mask, his strong presence…

"I missed you, Leo," Mikey told him, reluctantly letting go.

"I missed you too," Leo replied, smiling.

"Can we go?" Raph grumbled, the rest of the party catching up with the two brothers.

"Can you chill?" Don snapped, rolling his eyes.

Leo laughed.

Mikey smiled.

Leo wrapped an arm around Mikey's shoulders. Raph stood on his other side, and Don was on Leo's other side. Their father followed closely behind them, April and Casey next to him, holding hands as they walked.

The warm light glowed brighter than anything Mikey had ever seen before. It was warmer than anything he had ever felt. He smiled and closed his eyes, letting his brothers guide him closer and closer…

It swallowed them up as they walked towards it, leaving no trace. It flickered once more, and then disappeared.

**TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT**

Please tell me what you think! This is completely different from what I normally do. I really want to know what you guys think!


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